BrailleNote Apex provides communication and writing aids for students who are blind or have visual impairments. The hardware has built-in options to access Web pages, download e-mails or retrieve files from your network. BrailleNote has changed the way people who are blind connect, work and interact.
The BrailleNote Apex's internal software suite is called KeySoft, which includes a word processor, book reader, Web browser, email client, voice recorder, media player, and an IM based client called Key Chat. BrailleNote Apex is beneficial for those with visual impairments in the comfort of their own home, classroom and at work!
Brief Description: A portable spell checker that spells words phonetically for over 110,000 words. The device also includes six built in games like hangman, and Anagrams. Cost: $16.88 Walmart Student Characteristics: Tool benefits students who struggle to spell words correctly when writing a sentence. Environment: Curriculum area that requires students to write. Task: Main focus is to help students to spell words correctly and for them to learn new words too.
Brandon Auyeung
Stop and Go Writing Paper Description: This paper includes vertical lines to help students with proper letter placement, as well as visual start & stop cues on the left and right sides of the paper. Cost: FREE online download(http://www.printablepaper.net/preview/stop-and-go_wide), or $3.92 from Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Mead-RediSpace-Transitional-NoteBook-48018/dp/B00290FKOU) Benefits: Shows students where to begin and end their writing on the page. Also provides sections for each letter to ensure proper size and spacing. Environment: School setting, classroom, writing workshop Tasks: Writing paragraphs, completing homework assignments, submitting written work
Marley Carhart
Debra Schwarzl
High Tech Item - Portable Keyboards
Writing and Spelling:
Portable Keyboards – It is a lightweight device that is easy to transport from the classroom to different resources and home. It can be helpful for kids who are having trouble writing by hand and prefer to use a keyboard. Also word processing allows the student to edit and correct written work. This will help students who are struggling with writing and/or spelling.
(IntelliTools, Inc. $395.00)
Price: $199.99 - Staples Name: Chelsea Miller Description: This pen records the teachers voice and is set up to backtrack notes to where you left off writing a word or phrase. You have to use a special notebook with the pen in order for it to work. Characteristics of Students: This pen would help out students who are slow at writing or a student who learns/reviews material better by hearing it versus writing all of it down. This pen is great for anyone in general. Environment: The Livescribe Pen would be good to use in the general education classroom or in the special education classroom. This could even be used for college level. Tasks: This pen could be used for taking notes in class.
iWriteWords App
Price: $2.99 Itunes Description: iWriteWords teaches children handwriting while playing a fun and entertaining game. Student Characteristics: Students who have difficulty with fine motor skills and have difficulty with handwriting may benefit from this app. Students may also benefit from this app who are more motivated to be by the computer. Tasks: This app helps children improve their handwriting. Environment: Students can use this app in the classroom or at home. This app is easily accessible on any iphone or ipad. iWriteWords App (Jessica Ganslaw) Wordle Price- Free website online Description- Wordle is a word program that generates “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. Students Characteristics- Wordle is a great tool for students who struggle with remembering the important parts of text. Teachers can make word clouds to show students the words that will appear frequently in text and help them learn the word and meaning. This will help students who have a hard time remembering key words in text. Environment- This will be a great tool for the classroom environment. Teachers can use Wordle to represented information in multiple ways. The teacher can express important information a fun and interactive way. Task- This will assist students during reading lesson and writing lessons. Seeing the important words will show students how to spell each word and remember the important words in text.
BrandiZaccaia LOW TECH ITEM RaisedLine Paper
Description: This blue and yellow, lined paper is available for students with a weak understanding of how to write proper letters and sentences. The lower half of the writing area has been emphasized with bright blue color and indicates where the lower case letters should be placed. The solid lines have been separated to help the individual locate the writing area. Lines at the end signify where they should stop. The line at the bottom of the writing area has been embossed. The raised line tells the student where to stop writing. This provides both visual and tactile cues for the student.
Characteristics: Students who may benefit from this tool are those with poor visual perception and writing skills. This paper helps the students to learn how big letters should be and how far apart the words should be that they are writing about.
Environment: This writing tool is most likely to be used by students when they are given a writing assignment in school. It could also be seen as beneficial to have this paper at home for children who struggle with writing, so that they can practice their skills at any time.
Tasks: This will help students to improve their writing skills. Considering the fact that the paper is simplified, visually, the student is able to form letters correctly with an adequate amount of space between words. Also, because the bottom of the writing area has been embossed
By: Julia Fairfield
Neo 2 (AT Hardware)
Description: The Neo 2 is similar to an AlphaSmart. It is an electronic keyboard that helps the student with their writing. This product includes word processor features such as spellcheck and a thesaurus.
Cost: $119.00
Source: www.neo-direct.com
Characteristics: Students who may benefit from this tool are students who struggle with writing. They can easily type out their responses and send them wirelessly to a printer or computer.
Environment: This tool would mainly be used in the classroom when students are to write out their responses.
Tasks: This tool can help students write their response, check spelling mistakes, and improve keyboarding skills.
by Jennifer Sanseverino
Price: $5,495
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/products/blindness/braillenotes/_details/id_158/braillenote_apex_bt_32_braille_notetaker.html
BrailleNote Apex provides communication and writing aids for students who are blind or have visual impairments. The hardware has built-in options to access Web pages, download e-mails or retrieve files from your network. BrailleNote has changed the way people who are blind connect, work and interact.
The BrailleNote Apex's internal software suite is called KeySoft, which includes a word processor, book reader, Web browser, email client, voice recorder, media player, and an IM based client called Key Chat. BrailleNote Apex is beneficial for those with visual impairments in the comfort of their own home, classroom and at work!
Brief Description: A portable spell checker that spells words phonetically for over 110,000 words. The device also includes six built in games like hangman, and Anagrams.
Cost: $16.88
Walmart
Student Characteristics: Tool benefits students who struggle to spell words correctly when writing a sentence.
Environment: Curriculum area that requires students to write.
Task: Main focus is to help students to spell words correctly and for them to learn new words too.
Brandon Auyeung
Stop and Go Writing Paper
Description: This paper includes vertical lines to help students with proper letter placement, as well as visual start & stop cues on the left and right sides of the paper.
Cost: FREE online download(http://www.printablepaper.net/preview/stop-and-go_wide), or $3.92 from Amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com/Mead-RediSpace-Transitional-NoteBook-48018/dp/B00290FKOU)
Benefits: Shows students where to begin and end their writing on the page. Also provides sections for each letter to ensure proper size and spacing.
Environment: School setting, classroom, writing workshop
Tasks: Writing paragraphs, completing homework assignments, submitting written work
Marley Carhart
Debra Schwarzl
High Tech Item - Portable Keyboards
Writing and Spelling:
Portable Keyboards – It is a lightweight device that is easy to transport from the classroom to different resources and home. It can be helpful for kids who are having trouble writing by hand and prefer to use a keyboard. Also word processing allows the student to edit and correct written work. This will help students who are struggling with writing and/or spelling.
(IntelliTools, Inc. $395.00)
High Tech: Livescribe Smart Pen
Price: $199.99 - Staples
Name: Chelsea Miller
Description: This pen records the teachers voice and is set up to backtrack notes to where you left off writing a word or phrase. You have to use a special notebook with the pen in order for it to work.
Characteristics of Students: This pen would help out students who are slow at writing or a student who learns/reviews material better by hearing it versus writing all of it down. This pen is great for anyone in general.
Environment: The Livescribe Pen would be good to use in the general education classroom or in the special education classroom. This could even be used for college level.
Tasks: This pen could be used for taking notes in class.
iWriteWords App
Price: $2.99 Itunes
Description: iWriteWords teaches children handwriting while playing a fun and entertaining game.
Student Characteristics: Students who have difficulty with fine motor skills and have difficulty with handwriting may benefit from this app. Students may also benefit from this app who are more motivated to be by the computer.
Tasks: This app helps children improve their handwriting.
Environment: Students can use this app in the classroom or at home. This app is easily accessible on any iphone or ipad.
iWriteWords App
(Jessica Ganslaw)
Wordle
Price- Free website online
Description- Wordle is a word program that generates “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like.
Students Characteristics- Wordle is a great tool for students who struggle with remembering the important parts of text. Teachers can make word clouds to show students the words that will appear frequently in text and help them learn the word and meaning. This will help students who have a hard time remembering key words in text.
Environment- This will be a great tool for the classroom environment. Teachers can use Wordle to represented information in multiple ways. The teacher can express important information a fun and interactive way.
Task- This will assist students during reading lesson and writing lessons. Seeing the important words will show students how to spell each word and remember the important words in text.
BrandiZaccaia
LOW TECH ITEM
Raised Line Paper
By: Julia Fairfield
Neo 2 (AT Hardware)
Description: The Neo 2 is similar to an AlphaSmart. It is an electronic keyboard that helps the student with their writing. This product includes word processor features such as spellcheck and a thesaurus.
Cost: $119.00
Source: www.neo-direct.com
Characteristics: Students who may benefit from this tool are students who struggle with writing. They can easily type out their responses and send them wirelessly to a printer or computer.
Environment: This tool would mainly be used in the classroom when students are to write out their responses.
Tasks: This tool can help students write their response, check spelling mistakes, and improve keyboarding skills.
(Kayla Grout)